Last week our return flight from our New York trip brought us into Seattle close to midnight Friday. After a full day of rediscovering the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a late transcontinental flight and a three-hour time change, we were exhausted and looking forward to a good night’s sleep. My husband, Harry, had found a place new to us, on Expedia, that was only a five-minute drive from the airport and promised to be atypical of the ubiquitous airport hotel. Let me tell you, the Cedarbrook Center did not disappoint. In fact, we could not have been more delighted with our stay. Washington Mutual built Cedarbrook six years ago as its corporate conference center, and the property adjoins a protected wetlands in a residential neighborhood. Although situated perhaps only a mile as the crow flies from SeaTac and the usual line-up of airport hotels and convention centers along International Boulevard, Cedarbrook provides an oasis of peace. When JPMorgan Chase took over WaMu, the company’s leadership centers on the East Coast made this location superfluous for their corporate events, and the management looked for ways to fill up the gaps in its booking calendar. With some careful wording and an amendment to its use agreement with the local municipality, Cedarbrook is permitted a certain amount of “overnight lodging”, along with meetings, conferences, reunions, receptions and the like. My first-hand experience there tells me it would be ideal for any of those purposes. The site is made up of three main buildings, no more than three stories high and featuring a Northwest lodge style which blends beautifully into the naturally landscaped grounds and neighboring preserve. The main building houses an assortment of meeting rooms equipped with all the latest audiovisual gear and high-speed Internet connections, in addition to a large central “great room” with enormous stone fireplace, soaring ceilings and clusters of overstuffed sofas and chairs. Adjoining this space is a cozy bar/library and the Stuffed Mushroom Restaurant. Included in our room fare was a generous buffet breakfast here, and even at the end of the service time, we found the food to be well-prepared and a step above what one usually finds at such offerings. The guestrooms and a sizable, well-furnished fitness center occupy the other two buildings. Each room offers a floor-to-ceiling view, TV, plenty of storage space, a very sizable workspace with good lighting and free Internet access (and, yes, a coffeemaker and Starbucks coffee). It was hard to pick out the best feature of the bathroom: the spacious counter surrounding the sink; the deep, wide soaking tub and shower with adjustable, hand-held faucet fixture; or the plush towels, cozy robe and Thyme bath products.  Cedarbrook offers one more feature, though, which really sets it apart. Each guest floor has a “parlor” where one can grab a book from the shelves and sit by a gas fire; watch programming or movies on the large TV; or raid the oversized ‘frig for a variety of sandwiches, beverages, yogurt and frozen treats. Fruits and snacks, tea and coffee are always on hand, too. For those just arriving late at night from an Asian or transcontinental trip (like us) whose internal clocks are in some other time zone, such choices are welcome–if not absolutely necessary! Of course, all the amenities in the world can’t carry a property without the backing of great service. Here again, Cedarbrook came through. Even with our late arrival, check-in was prompt, and queries from our room were handled promptly and cheerfully. I arrived at almost the last possible minute for breakfast the next morning, but I received gracious service and did not feel resented or rushed to finish. Later, General Manager John Murphy was kind enough to give me a tour of the facilities and a sampling of the 102 guestrooms and suites. His obvious pride in this lovely property is certainly justifiable.  Whether you are looking for overnight accomodations for yourself or a location for anything from a wedding reception to a multi-day business conference for 200 or a quiet business lunch for eight, Cedarbrook can fit the bill. My next visit to Seattle, for overseas flights in May, will find me looking forward to another stay there. Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader